Just Another Assignment?
by phoenix521
Summary: i'm not sure why i don't simply delete this fic, but if you decide to read this for some god forsaken reason, note that this is 4 years old. i think i'm a better writer now, so please don't review, 4 years after the fact, to say this fic is bad...thanks.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Hunter D. It'd be cool if I did, but, well, I don't. The events in this fanfic are of my own imagination. Any similarity to any other fic is purely coincidental. But you can't help but sound similar to someone at sometime or other. This is my first fic based on my own characters (except D, of course). I hope you all enjoy it. And if you could review, I'd really like it. Now, on with the fic! :D  
  
  
  
Just Another Assignment?  
  
  
Day 1: Let's Get Ready To Rumble  
  
  
The cool autumn breeze blew through his hair. As the cool air hit his face, he was snapped back into reality. He had been thinking of his childhood, perhaps the happiest time of his life.   
  
His mother and father loved him more than life. The first of three children, a lot of responsibility was put on him. But he was always happy to be trusted. Never once did he feel unloved. In his late teens, though, he discovered what he was. A half-breed. Vampire and Human. He soon began to loath himself, and his mother and father as well. He wanted nothing to do with his family anymore. He hated his father for being what he was, and his mother, who never wished to hurt him, for letting such a child be created. He soon left his home, vowing never to return. When he caught wind of his mother's death many years later, he was devastated, but still very angry. Possibly the dumbest thing he ever did, was to miss his mother funeral.  
  
Before he could shed a tear of anger, remorse, and regret, a desperate voice called out to him.  
  
"Please sir! Wait! Could you possibly be of any assistance to me?! Oh please, STOP!!"  
  
He planned to stop any way, but something in this persons voice almost halted him in his tracks. Shaking this feeling off, he waited for the person to catch up. He thought to himself how he'd heard desperate cries for his help more times than he could remember. He knew the drill. Sense a vampire; travel down a lone road; wait for someone to run out, pleading for help; agree to kill the vampire; do so; bid a fond farewell; then do it all over again. Never anything new in this respect.  
  
As he pulled his horse to a stop, the one in need of his services bounded up to him.  
  
"Thank you so much for stopping. I need help, and you look like you could help me. I…I've been kissed by a…a vampire. The infamous Count Rayon. I don't know what he wants with me, but I don't want to find out. I need someone like you to um…well…destroy him for me. Could you please help?"  
  
He looked down from atop his horse to see that it was a rather beautiful young girl pleading to him. She was about 17, maybe 18. She had stunning blue eyes and long, black hair. She was also tall, and had a very athletic look to her. He quickly shook himself of her image, though. After all, he wasn't looking for love.   
  
He dismounted and went over to the girl. He kneeled down to examine the wound on her neck. Satisfied, he stood up and gave her his answer.  
  
"Alright, I'll help." Is all he said.  
  
She looked up at him. He was tall. Very tall. And extremely muscular.  
'Not bad. Not bad at all,' she thought to herself, happily taking her mind off of her predicament.  
  
"I haven't much to offer, but whatever you desire, I'll try my best to get it for you." She   
said as she led him to her home.  
  
As he followed her, he mentally prepared himself for the task ahead. He couldn't help solemnly thinking, though, that this was going to be just another assignment. He would soon discover just how wrong he was. 


	2. So, Who's The Girl?

So, Who's the Girl?  
  
  
The house was small, but quaint. It was on an acre plot of grass, enclosed by a large, steel fence. He'd seen fences like this many times before. He couldn't recall ever seeing one actually keep a determined vampire out, though. As she led him into the stable, he saw a few sheep and dogs running around.  
  
"I'll put your horse up for you," the girl called out.  
  
As she held out he hand for the reins, he dismounted, but held the reins himself.  
  
"I'll put him away."  
  
"Alright, if you insist. I'll go make something to eat. You must be hungry," she said as she bounded inside.  
  
When he had finished with his horse, he went inside, finding himself in the kitchen. On a little table in the corner were two plates with what appeared to be potatoes, corn, and some type of meat on them.  
  
"I was wondering when you'd get in here,"   
  
He looked up to see the girl coming in. She had changed, now. She was in a big t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Her long black hair was pulled into a ponytail.  
  
"Come on, sit down. I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but I'm surely not the worst."  
  
He sat down and quietly began to eat.  
They were almost done eating before something was said.   
  
"Well, if you're going to help me, I think we should at least know each other's names'. My name is Sadie. Sadie Bozes. And what might your name be?"  
  
As he tended to do, he let a little time pass before he responded.  
  
"I'm D."  
  
"D. Just D? Nothing else?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Well, it's easy enough to remember. Um, I hope you enjoyed the meal. If you want, you can go into the living room while I clean the dishes. The remote is on the side table if you want to turn the t.v. on. There aren't many channels, but I really don't take you for much of a t.v. person anyway."  
  
D got up from the table, and went to the living as he was instructed. The room was   
small. There was a couch, a chair, the side table with the remote on it, and the t.v. Not much else. He sat down on the couch. He decided to close his eyes for a moment. He hadn't really slept over the last three days. He'd been thinking of his past an awful lot.  
  
  
"D, honey, come here!" his mom playfully called out. "You little scamp! When I get a hold of you, I'm gonna tickle you till you wet your pants!"  
  
He ran as fast as his legs would let him, but it wasn't fast enough. His mother caught up to him as the fell in the grass. His father had been in the garden, watching happily as his wife and young son ran through the grass.  
  
"D, Ella! The tea is ready," he called out.   
  
Mother and son quickly got up and ran to where his father was.  
  
"D..D..D…"  
  
"I'm coming!" he called out.  
  
"D, D…D!"  
  
He snapped his eyes open, only to find that it was Sadie who was saying his name.  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you.."  
  
"You didn't."  
  
"So, um…what are you going to do, exactly to get rid of this vampire?"  
  
"Take it one step at a time."  
  
"That'll work?"  
  
"Always has in the past. If you don't mind me asking, where is your family. You don't look any older than 18, it doesn't seem like you should be alone."  
  
"Well, if you must know. You're right about my age. I was an only child. My parents really should have never been together in the first place, the way I see it. My mom was a whore, and my dad was a drunk. One night, my mom was hit be a car and killed. Later that year, my dad died of liver failure. I wasn't too devastated. We never really got along. Now, I get the house all to myself. It really isn't as bad as it sounds. I have a job, support myself, and have a relatively okay life, I guess."  
  
"Wow, I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh, don't be. Well, it's late, and I'm tired. So, let me show you to your room."  
  
"I'm fine on the couch."  
  
"No, don't be silly. I have an extra bedroom. Come on."  
  
She led him down the hall and showed him into the room. She bid him goodnight, and left him be.  
  
After removing his cloak, sword, and hat, he sat down on the bed and removed his boots. He laid down and tried to get acclimated to his new temporary surroundings. He soon closed his eyes and hoped he could get lost in his dreams again. 


	3. Day 2

Day 2: The Vampire is a what?  
  
  
D woke refreshed. The sun had just risen above the horizon. He sat up and glanced at the old clock on the wall. It read 6:15. He got up from the bed and opened the door. He peeked into the hallway, which was slowly filling with light. He eased out of the room, off in search of the bathroom. About five minutes later, he finally found it. For a house so small, the bathroom was unusually hard to find.   
  
In the bathroom, he found a washcloth and a towel. On the washcloth was a piece of paper with his name on it. So, he figured that it was for him. Since he was up and not busy, he decided to take a shower. In the shower, he let the water run over him for a while. The warm water felt nice and soothing on his skin.  
  
Several minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, holding his towel around him in one hand, and his clothes in the other hand. Quickly, he made his way to his room to get dressed.  
  
  
By the time he was clothed and his long hair dry, it was almost 7:30. Just then, he heard a bit of clatter from the kitchen, and figured Sadie was up. He decided to go downstairs.  
  
Downstairs, he found Sadie cooking breakfast. It smelled good. He didn't want to seem rude by just sitting down and waiting to be fed, so, he decided to say something.  
  
"Good morning," he called out.  
  
She turned around and greeted him with a big smile.  
  
"Good morning to you. I see you found your towel and washcloth. You can sit down.   
Breakfast is almost ready."  
  
He sat down. A little bored, he examined the kitchen. Like the rest of the house, it was small. There was a refrigerator, a stove, some cabinets, and the table of course. The curtains over the window were a simple, but pleasant shade of green.  
  
Sadie came over to the table with two plates and sat down. They ate in silence. D preferred the quiet. He usually kept to himself anyway, and when he did speak, he didn't want to engage in idle talk.  
  
When they were done eating, D offered to help with the dishes, but Sadie wouldn't let him help. She said he was her guest and didn't need to help. Not wanting to argue, D went outside to check on his horse.  
  
  
Sadie soon came outside, ready to do the chores. D, again, offered to help. Reluctantly, she let him. There were quite a bit to do, but nothing D couldn't handle. The horses, sheep, and dogs needed to be fed. The stable needed to be cleaned and re-hayed. The chickens needed to be tended to, and other chores of a farm kind of nature.  
  
  
They were done about noon. And went inside to rest. Sadie brought out some iced tea. They both drank it down greedily. A few minutes later, D spoke up.  
  
"So, before I go after the vampire, what can you tell me about him?"  
  
"Well, two nights ago, I was coming home from town late. The road to my house is dark and usually uninhibited. My horse got spooked by something, and reared up. Some of the stuff in the wagon fell out, so I went to go pick it up. Before I could get back on my horse, someone grabbed me. I immediately realized it was the count who had me. I was really scared. The count said something about how I reminded them of when they were young. Kept going on about some stupid stuff. Then, she bit me."   
  
"Wait…did you say 'she'?"  
  
"Yeah. I think it's weird, too. Not every day a girl gets bitten by a female vampire. Heck, not every day a girl gets bitten in general. I honestly don't think the Count, or I guess Countess has any type of 'gay' intentions for me, though. She said something about wanting an heir to her throne, or something like that."  
  
"Alright, what is her name again?"  
  
"Count Rayon. Count Ella Rayon."  
  
"Where does this Count Ella Rayon live?"  
  
"Um…she lives in a huge castle about a 10 miles east of my place. Do all vampires live in huge castles, because it sure seems like it."   
  
"No. Most tend to live within the towns. Only a few, generally the worst ones, live in castles, with a few exceptions, of course."  
  
He added that last part, since his father lived in an immense castle. He never actually recalled seeing his father do anything terrible, so he felt it wrong to say just the worst ones lived in castles.  
  
"Oh, whatever," Sadie replied. "Oh yeah, word around town is that she has a lot of werewolves under he command."  
  
"That's normal."  
  
"Really? Interesting. I also heard that her castle is filled with a lot of gross creatures and deadly booby-traps. Some men in the village have tried to invade her castle. For bragging purposes, I guess. Most don't come back, but a few get lucky. They tell tales about what they've seen. Some things they tell, though, are hard to believe.  
  
"I could imagine. Do you know how old she is?"  
  
"Not really. Some say she's over 3000 years old. Some say a bit older, some, a bit younger. No one really knows for sure, though."  
  
They continued to talk into the evening. Mostly about things not concerned with vampires. Neither noticed the time, until Sadie looked up.  
  
"Oh my, it's 6:40. We've been talking for a long time. I better go get dinner started."  
  
D was almost glad when she left. Sadie had been doing most of the talking, and he was getting a bit tired of listening.  
  
By the time they were done eating dinner, they really didn't have anything else to talk about. So about 8:00, they retired to their rooms. In his room, D sat and pondered about the vampire. He'd never know a vampires to bite another female. At least not give one a 'kiss'. Nor had he heard of any vampire wanting a human as an heir. He began to realize that maybe this wasn't going to be the usual assignment.  
  
Tired of thinking, D climbed into bed and stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure when, but he eventually drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
"He sure is knowledgeable about vampires."  
  
"Of course he is. He's been doing this for the vast majority of his life."  
  
"He's also very quite."  
  
"Not surprising."  
  
"He looks pretty young."  
  
"Looks can be deceiving, dear. He's over 11,000 years old."  
  
"WOW! Really? How is that possible?"  
  
"He's a dhampire."  
  
"A vampire-human spawn?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Could he possibly defeat you?"  
  
"I'm sure he could, but I highly doubt he would. Once he sees me, he won't be able to   
harm me. And once I've defeated him, you and I will both have our rewards."  
  
"Oh Ella, you're a genius." 


	4. Day 3

Day 3: That's Not What I Heard  
  
  
The morning went the same way as the previous one. Wake up early, shower, eat, do chores, then come in and rest. But instead of talking over iced tea, Sadie left to go into town. She said she was running low on supplies, and needed to make a trip. D opted to stay at the house. He liked to avoid the questioning stares of people as much as he could, though most attempts proved to be in vain.  
  
Sadie left about two p.m. He wasn't sure how long she was going to be gone. He was becoming increasingly bored, so he started to walk around the house.  
  
"You know you want to go nose around, so, go do it already. I'm just a curious about this girl as you are."  
  
D's left hand finally broke its silence and began to pester D. Again.  
  
"It's not my place to go through her things," D replied.  
  
"That's never stopped you before. Oh come on. Just go up to the attic and poke around. She'll never know. And besides, how will you really be able to, if you want to use this word, trust this chick if you don't dig up some dirt. Besides, even though she talked your ear off yesterday, she really didn't tell you anything about herself. Of course, you didn't volunteer any information about yourself, either, though I never expected you would in the first place."  
  
Never really one to respond to his annoying appendage, D made his way to where the entrance of the attic was. The entrance was the kind where you pull down the ladder and climb up. Once in the attic, D found the light and turned it on.  
  
The attic wasn't as full as he expected it to be, but it was full enough. He found a pile of boxes, and carefully began to sift through them.  
  
To make himself fell better about what he was doing, he told himself that he wasn't being nosey, just simply looking for information that could be very helpful in helping to save his client.  
  
The first few boxes he opened contained nothing but clothes, toys, and books. Becoming increasingly bored, he decided to look in one more box, and then leave the attic. He certainly picked a good last box to pick though.  
  
Inside the box were three photo albums. The first one was labeled 'The Early Years'. He opened it up. The vast majority of the pictures in the album consisted of three young children. All with black hair and deep blue eyes. The pictures all had a description to go with them. From the descriptions, he found out some very important information. The oldest of the children was four years older than the youngest, and two years older than the middle child. Their names' were Joey, Kailie, and…Sadie. The three of them always seemed to be together, very happily. Occasionally, there'd be a whole family picture. Including the mother and father. The seemed like one big happy family.  
  
He picked up the second book, entitled 'The Elementary Years'. This one was filled with a bunch of school related things. And the same three kids and parents where in the pictures. Still looking happy.  
  
By now, D was needless to say, confused. Sadie had told him she was an only child. And the description of her parents sure didn't match the pictures of the people Sadie called 'mommy and daddy' in a preserved Christmas card. Also, by the look of the pictures, the family sure seemed close.  
  
"Maybe I wasn't listening good, but what I just saw definitely wasn't what I heard."  
  
"I must have heard wrong as well. These pictures tell a drastically different story than the one she told."  
  
"Well, might as well take a gander at he last album. Who knows, it might turn out that she's a wealthy thirysomething business woman with two kids and a jerk for a husband."  
  
D picked up the last album. This one, though, didn't have a title. He opened it up. It started out like the rest, but wasn't like the rest. He found a few blank pages, then a lot of newspaper articles. He picked up a piece, unfolded it, and read the headline. It read like this: 'Local Family Killed In Tragic Carriage Accident'. He quickly read the article.   
  
It turns out that Sadie's entire family was killed when their horse and carriage "mysteriously" turned over, crushing them all. The police reports found that their throat had been slit, so, the carriage wasn't responsible for the deaths. Immediately, foul play was suspected, the police just needed a suspect. Sadie, the only survivor, survived simply because she wasn't with her family when it happened. She was at a friend's house. The friend of course verified her actually being there.  
  
D began to flip through the article, hoping to find some answers. And sure enough, he found them.  
  
The accident turned quadruple homicide, quintuple if you count the horse, was linked to a convicted murderer who had some major beef with Sadie's parents. Especially her father.  
  
Sadie's mother and father ran a prominent law firm. In the case of the century, their firm was chosen to represent the plaintiff. Her father was chosen as the lead attorney. He father had defeated the defendant, which got the man known as 'Tom' convicted of first degree murder, and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. It had been reported that 'Tom' planned to, "…kill that bloody bastard if it's the last thing I ever do!" No one paid him mind, though.  
  
About a year late, 'Tom' escaped. The police launched a massive manhunt to find him. Unfortunately, they found him just a little to late. The cops picked him up about a mile from the crime scene, still covered in blood.  
  
Sadie was 12 at the time of this tragedy. She moved in with her about. After that, he found nothing else.  
  
A tad devastated, D carefully replaced the newspapers and put the albums back in the box. He put the boxes back where they originally where, and headed downstairs.  
  
"Well, that was quite a story," the hand said, with sadness in its voice.  
  
  
  
  
"So, it begins tonight, right?"  
" I suppose so."  
"So, just to make sure I got it fight…what's the plan again?"  
"You don't remember by now?!"  
"Yes, I do. It's just that…"  
"I swear, if you mess this up, my perfect plan, you might not live to regret it!!"  
"I remember. Go to town, stay gone for a while, the hunter comes a looking, someone tells him the count got me, and off he'll come to the castle. Right? I remembered it right."  
"Yes, you did. DO NOT screw up!"  
"I won't. How long do you think it'll take him to get here?"  
"Not sure. Bt when he gets here, that's when the real fun will begin."  
  
  
  
  
D went into the living room to sit down. He was a bit disillusioned. He checked the clock and found it was a little after six. Sadie hadn't returned yet, but he wasn't worried. He knew it could take a while to do all that needed to be done in a town. He was getting a little hungry, and went to the kitchen to see if he could find something to munch on.  
  
He opened the refrigerator door and found a plate with his name on it. It was leftovers from the night before. He warmed it up as quietly ate it. He was undoubtedly lost in thought. It was hard to fathom what Sadie has been through. When he was done eating, he washed his dishes and went to his room.  
  
As the hours whittled by, D began to wait anxiously for Sadie to return. He wanted to know why she had lied to him. He didn't want to seem rude by going through her stuff, but he was glad he did. Now, he wanted the truth. He felt he was entitled to it. And the truth had better been good.  
  
By 11:00 that night, she still hadn't returned. Becoming worried, D decided to go to town and look for her. He only hoped the vampire hadn't already gotten to her. He was now almost regretting not going with her. He went outside and got his horse and mounted up and headed off toward town.  
  
  
  
  
  
"He's coming, Ella!"  
"Excellent." 


	5. Day 4

Day 4: One Hell Of A Castle  
  
  
He arrived in the little town around midnight. He was a bit surprised to see the streets filled with people. Especially since a vampire was eyeing the town. But, he felt an heir of trouble in the air. He saw a small crowd of people and went to investigate.  
  
There was a group of people were gathered around, talking about the girl that was just taken by the vampire. D quickly cut in, asking if the girl was Sadie.  
  
"Why yes sir, it was. Are you that hunter we heard about?" one gruff man rasped out.  
  
D nodded.  
  
"She was taken about 'bout an hour ago. You'd betta get goin' before it's too late. We like having her 'round. We'd be mighty sad if she was gone," another man replied.  
  
D thanked the crowd for their information, and headed towards the castle. He recalled hearing Sadie say that the castle was about 10 miles from her house. He pushed his horse as fast as it could go.  
  
Finally, after about two hours of hard riding, D came upon the castle. The castle was very big. Massive towers shot towards the sky. To any person, the castle was a menacing obstacle. To D, it was just another castle. But by now, he knew that what seemed normal for him, wasn't anymore.  
  
He knew he'd be asking for death if he went in the front way, so, he went around back. He told his horse to go wait in the brush, and he headed around.   
  
In the back, he found an open window. He felt that it was too easy to go through the window, but he went anyway. If anything were to try and attack him, he'd be ready and kill them, just like the rest. He climbed through the window and found himself in a strange, small room. All that was in the room was a small table and a chair. A little creeped out by the empty, yet full room, D quickly found the door, and exited.  
  
He found himself lost in a maze of hallways. Everywhere he turned, there was either a dead end, or a new hallway. Now, he knew why it was so easy to get into the castle. Just because you penetrated the outside definitely didn't mean you got inside.  
  
The halls were long and dark. Every now and then, a shadow monster would try to attack him. He'd had many a run in with these creatures; so, he was always ready for them. He wasn't quite prepared for the next monster, though.  
  
Figuring another shadow figure was behind him; he whirled around, only to find nothing. When he turned back around, though, there was a giant monster, at least 10 feet tall, made of fire and rock, standing in front of him. He drew his sword and swung fiercely, but the attempt was nothing short of futile. The giant fire-stone monster let out a bit of a chuckle, and swiped at D with a large, paw-like hand.  
  
D fell back, in obvious pain. The monster had landed a hot, painful blow to his abdomen, and then returned to the wall and fiery scones from which it had emerged.   
  
D lay in intense pain. His insides felt as it they had been immersed in hot lava. He knew he needed to get up, no matter how much pain he was in. He pulled himself to his feet, and as he stood, the ground gave out and he felt himself falling. He would have been crushed against the ground it weren't for his impressive cloak slowing his fall. He hit the ground hard, but not as hard as he could have.  
  
Once on the ground again, he lay there, catching his breath. He then stood up, very wobbly and very much in pain.   
  
"Are you all right? You look pretty messed up."  
  
"I'll…unh…be fine. Just…a..uh..minute is all I…need."  
  
He kneeled back down, still reeling from both impacts. He would have rested a while longer, but he had a life to save. And it wasn't his own.  
  
He pulled himself up and started down the long corridor.  
  
"You really should rest. You can't save some if you aren't okay."  
  
Still cradling his midsection, D wearily responded.  
  
"I'm fine, I promised to help her and that's what I'm going to do."  
  
  
It was almost five hours later before D dragged himself out of the corridor. The sun was up now. He looked around and saw nothing dangerous. He continued on his way.  
  
After climbing several flights of stairs, he finally caught Sadie's scent. He followed her scent up to a room. The immense door had a giant look on it, which mocked D to just try and jimmy it.  
  
He pulled out his smallest dagger, and after a couple of minutes, was able to get the lock open. He placed the defeated look on the ground, and went into the room.   
  
He found Sadie sleeping in a lavishly decorated bed. He went over and gently nudged her. She woke up, and was delighted to see it was him. She jumped up and hugged him. He let out a slight grunt of pain.  
  
"Oh D, I knew you'd come."  
  
"We need to get out of here. Now!"  
  
"Alright. Let me just find my shoes."  
  
She dove under the bed to see if they were there. It took a while for her to find the shoes. While waiting, D noticed the time. It was after two p.m. He was a bit shocked. He didn't know he had taken so long.  
  
"Sadie, please, let's go."  
"I found them. Okay, let's go. I just got to get this one..ah. Ow! My ankle!"  
  
D let out a sigh and went to where she had fallen. Not wanting to take any chances with her ankle, he scooped her up and made his way out of the room.  
  
"You do this a lot, huh?" she asked, surprised by how effortlessly he picked her up, even being in pain.  
  
They were almost to first of many flights of stairs, when D was thrown for yet another surprising, yet increasingly common loop.  
  
"Ella! Ella! Here he is! Come and get him!"  
  
D was baffled. Sadie, knowing about his injury, slapped his side, and he nearly dropped her.  
  
"Ella! Hurry up! He may be hurt, but he's still strong! Hurry!!"  
  
D tried to wipe his look of disbelief off his face and talk some kind of sense into this girl. But before he could, he felt a sharp crack of pain against the back of his head. He sullenly fell to the ground, realizing he'd been tricked and ambushed.  
  
Trying to rise again, his efforts were stopped by another blow to the head. As he fell to the floor, quickly losing consciousness, he caught a glimpse of a long red cape as it swept around him. There was a familiar smell in the air and the cape swished past him. One he hadn't smelled in years.  
  
"Great job, Sadie. I wasn't sure if you could pull this off, but you did. Bravo. You definitely deserve your promised reward."  
  
"Oh yes!"  
  
"And for you, my boy, your finally home again."  
  
D looked up and peered through his hair and blurring vision and caught a glimpse of this Count Ella Rayon, and got the biggest shock yet. And he'd already had some pretty big shocks. There was only one word that was able to escape his lips.  
  
"Mother?" 


	6. Day 5

Day 5: Remember, Mommy Loves You  
  
  
After he had been hit so hard, D drifted in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day. He was drugged heavily as well to keep him from getting away. His head was filled with a ton of crazy hallucination. And when he was awake, he wasn't able to decipher what he saw. The only thing he could comprehend was that he was in a lot of trouble, and further more, he'd been had.  
  
It wasn't until about four a.m. that he could fully comprehend his surroundings. He realized he was in a dungeon of sorts, shackled to a wall. A predicament he'd been in many times before. But this, as the theme of his week was going, was different.  
  
The shackles around his feet, hand, and waist were laced with garlic. Nowhere near enough to kill him, but enough to irritate him terribly.   
  
He found that his left hand was gone, cut just below the wrist. Whoever caught him obviously knew a lot about him. Then, he remembered what he was before he lost consciousness earlier. It was, what he could have sworn, his mother.  
  
But he knew that that was impossible. His mother should have been dead for over 10,920 years. His father never turned her, not that he knew of. His father was strongly against it. She was never a vampire, he knew for a fact. She was dead. He'd made up his mind. But it seems his mother didn't know she was dead.  
  
He heard the door open and looked up. To his surprise, and his horror, it was in fact his mother who entered.  
  
"My goodness, boy, look like you've just seen a ghost. Well, I guess in a way, you just did," her voice rang out to him.  
  
Her voice was just as he remembered. Sing-songy, airy, light, soothing, beautiful.   
He was in disbelief. Shock couldn't even begin to describe his feelings.  
She began to talk to him, as if she had never died.  
  
"Oh my son! How have you been? It's been so long! I've missed you more than words can say. I see you've grown into a handsome, strong man. I knew you would. Oh, you still have your father's eyes," she cooed, as she pushed the hair from his face. "Here, have some water, you must be thirsty. Judging by the look in you eye, water's not the only thing you thirst for. Oh son, do you take good care of that? I hope so. But this particular time, I fell I'm responsible for your thirst. I didn't want to hurt you, my boy, but it was necessary. I know my fire-stone monster did a number on you. And the garlic on your burns probably doesn't help, either. Your head has healed, though. You were bleeding a bit, but, it' stopped quickly. I also remembered the little demon in your hand, so I had to remove it. The hand, that is. I couldn't take a chance on having you escape. Or kill me. I am so very sorry."  
  
She hesitated for a moment, perhaps expecting him to yell at her. Or maybe she just wanted to look at him some more.  
  
"Please tell me, my dear, why did you go away? I missed you something fierce."  
  
Still in shock, D managed to find his voice and speak to the woman that should've been dead.  
  
"I was angry when I found out what I was, what my brothers were, and what father was," he slowly and painfully rasped out.  
  
"You are an amazing creation. You have nothing to be angry about. But you had a good reason to be, I suppose. But being angry is on thing. To just not come back is something totally different! Every day I hoped you'd show up. Every holiday or birthday that went by, I wanted to die! My heart ached soo much for you! If you couldn't bring yourself to come back home, you could have at least written! I…I…" She started to tear up, racked by emotion.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know how to come back. Especially since I left so cruelly."  
  
"Honey. The way you left didn't matter! You could have come back at any time!"  
  
She paused for a moment in order to regain herself.  
  
"Do you know why I faked my death? Do you? I did it because I missed you so much. After so many years of not hearing from you, I thought you were dead. Your father reassured me that you weren't, but you were. To me, you were. I never saw you, but always thought of you. I figured if I faked my death, you'd come back. Back home. But you didn't. I was so hurt when you didn't show up. So much that I wish I actually had died."  
  
D wasn't able to talk to her. He was still shocked, and very much ashamed of his behavior. So, he listened to her cry over him. That hurt him so much.  
  
She talked late into the night. But as the night was coming to an end, the conversations took a menacing turn.  
  
"I never wanted to hurt you, son. (Sigh) I had Sadie help me get you here. I'm sure you know this by now, though. I didn't want to meet you like this, but, it was the only way I'd be able to see you again."  
  
She began to cry harder, knowing what she was about to say.  
  
"Oh my son, I have to do something terrible to you. I don't want to, but I must. I am, as you now know, a vampire. I have a wonderful plan with the best intentions. But the way I have to go about executing my plan requires a lot of innocent people to die. I know this is something you don't condone, and you'd kill me for it. And I just can't have that. Oh D! Why did you have to be a hunter?!"  
  
"I'd never kill you. No matter what you did, I could never commit that act."  
  
"Oh son, I wish I could believe you, but I barely know you anymore. Please, forgive me for what I must do!"  
  
She ran to him and embraced him in a hug the best the shackles would allow. Then, she ran out of the room, leaving D alone, and still in shock.  
  
A few steps down the hall, she wiped away her tears and let out an evil cackle. Her plan was working perfectly for her.  
  
She retired to her chambers. It was now after 10 p.m. There then came a sudden knock at the door.  
  
"So, did you talk to him?" Sadie inquired.  
  
"I sure did."  
  
"Does he actually believe you're his mother?"  
  
"What do you mean? I am his real mother. At least that's what he thinks."  
  
They both let out an evil laugh.  
  
"Um, so Ella, when do you think I'll get my reward for helping you?"  
  
"Oh yes, your reward. Well, I was thinking, and I decided not to give you that reward after all. And if you honestly thought that I was going to turn you into a vampire, you're crazier than I thought you were. Ha! The only reason I bit you was so he'd believe you."  
  
"What?! But Ella, you promised!"  
  
"Promise, shomise. I'm a vampire. And a woman to boot. It's my prerogative to change my mind as often as I'd like."   
  
"But…"  
  
"But nothing! You're not being turned. Now, GO, before I kill you. I've gotten all I want from you. So, SCRAM!"  
  
Sadie ran out of the castle as fast as she could, crying hysterically. She realized that she just lead a man to his death. And for what?! Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What she was promised, she'd never get now. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she knew she had to save him. She had to right this massive wrong. Hopefully, she could pull it off. 


	7. Day 6

Day 6: Can You Really Trust Her?  
  
  
About 9 a.m., the commotion started. D was taken down from his shackled and led down one of the long halls. He was still in a bit of pain. His burns hadn't gotten any better. Since the shackles had garlic on them, the burn actually got worse. And now, he had red, irritated patches on his wrists and ankles for the other shackles.  
  
He'd been stripped earlier of all clothing, except for a pair of shorts. He was cold and shivering a little, too. The two mutants who led him noticed his shivers, and pulled him along harder. They led him into a small room. It had a tub, an elegant dresser and mirror, some towels, and other bathroom items. He figured this was the washroom.  
  
The two mutants left and three women entered. He sensed they were vampires. 'Most likely turned humans' he thought.   
  
Leaving him his dignity, or what was left of it, the tossed him in the tub, shorts and all. They carefully washed his burns and his irritated skin with warm water. They then pulled him out of the tub and dried him of with wool soft towels. The women put a special, soothing lotion on his skin. They dried his hair and pulled it back into a ponytail and wrapped it with a crimson red ribbon.  
  
A beautiful suit made of crushed velvet was brought into the washroom. They put him in the suit, which was the color of the ribbon.  
  
He didn't understand why they were doing this. In all honesty, he didn't want to know. He just let them continue with what they were doing.  
  
When he was cleaned and dressed, the three women led him out of the washroom and into the waiting arms or two more mutant guards. The women softly giggled as he was taken away.  
  
  
The two mutants led him downstairs and into the dining room. He hadn't eaten in two days, and was rather hungry. The food on the table looked very appetizing.  
  
One of the mutants motioned for him to sit down, while the other one brought him a chalice full to the brim with blood, and a note. He didn't want to drink the blood, but he was forced to. Then, he read the note. It read:  
  
My dearest son:  
  
Again, I am sorry for what I must do. But if you could just understand that what I do is for the best, things could be different. I wish I could tell you my plan, but I can't. Here is some blood for you. Drink it well. It's fresh and pure, just like you should have. To let you know, you will be executed tomorrow at sunrise by the guillotine. I'm so sorry son. Remember, I love you. You'll always be my baby.  
  
The note was rather pathetic, he thought, but a nice gesture any way, supposedly.  
  
  
When the meal was complete and his stomach full, he was taken from the dining room and put into a small room in the corner of the castle. The mutants locked the door and left him be.  
  
  
This room was furnished nicely. A far cry from the dungeon. The room was painted a soft, blue color. The chairs and chaise were a deep blue, as well as the satin bed coverings. He was very tired. It was almost impossible to get any sleep hanging from a wall. He went to the bed, laid down, and drifted off into sleep.  
  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?!" a furiated D shouted. "What kind of parents keep something like this from their child?! 22 years and it never occurred to you to tell me?! That I might get mad if you decide to wait?! Did you ever think about that?!"  
  
"D, honey," his mother pleaded, " we didn't want to tell you because we weren't sure if you'd have such powers."  
  
"Yes," a desperate Dracula echoed, "by me being the first vampire, I didn't know if my genes would be passed to you since your mother is pure human."  
  
"What kind of crap is that?! You're a vampire, she's not! What did you think was going to happen?! Or did you just not think at all?!"  
  
"You didn't show any signs, we thought you weren't affected since you were our first child," his mother cried out.  
  
"Lies! You know what I am and knew that what I what I am is evil, so, you didn't want to tell me!"  
  
"You are NOT evil! You are my son and there is no way you could be evil. Do you hear me?"  
  
"I hear you father, but I sure as hell don't believe you. I'm gone! I can't, no, won't stay here any longer! I'm no longer you child! I won't be anymore. And from this day forth, I dedicate my life to wiping out your kind and preventing anyone to have my problem!"   
  
He stormed towards the door; tears of anger streaming down his pale face.  
  
"D, please come back, son. We are so sorry for not telling you!"  
  
"I'm no longer your son, Ella! Not anymore!"  
  
"D…please come back! DDDDDD!"  
  
  
Elsewhere, Sadie was able to sneak back into the castle. Night was falling. She was able to get past all of the guards. All except for the one that guarder the weapons room.  
  
"Hey, whata ya doin'? Didn't Countess tell you to scat?" asked the guards.  
  
"No…it must have been some other girl. I need to get in there."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because…umm…Count Ella needs the sword and belt and other stuff of the hunter."  
  
"A'int she gonna kill 'em?"  
  
"Yeah, but, she wants him to see his stuff one last time."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. It's a new policy. Let them get a last look at their possessions."  
  
"Oh, alright. Go on in."  
  
"Thanks! Oh, do you know where the hunter's hand might be?"  
  
"Yep. Wants it for one last look, too?"  
  
"Yeah. Right."  
  
"Kay, I'll go git it."  
  
As she went in the room and he bounded off, she couldn't help muttering, "moron."  
  
She quickly found D's stuff and grabbed it. She quickly ran out of the room.  
  
"Hey girly! Wait a minute."  
  
She reluctantly stopped and turned around.  
  
"Here's the hand. I thought you were gone."  
  
"Oh, thanks again."  
  
She started to go, then stopped and turned around.  
  
"Do you maybe know where the hunter is? Is he still in the dungeon?"  
  
"No, he was moved this morning to the guest room in the west wing. I'm sure he's still in there. He won't be gone til tomorrow. Countess said his death by gillo…geela…gula…"  
  
"Guillotine?"  
  
"Yeah, death by that is to take place just before sunrise tomora."  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate it."  
  
"Anytime," he replied, but she was already out of sight.  
  
  
It was a while till dawn, but quite a ways to the west wing. She hurried as fast as she could, dodging mutants and guards as she went.  
  
  
She finally came upon the west wings' guest room. The door was locked. She didn't know where the key was, and didn't really have time to go look for it. She sifted through his stuff and found a dagger. She tried to pick the lock. She had a tough time, but finally got it open.   
  
She picked up his stuff walked inside, and almost got killed.  
  
D was waiting for whomever it was about to enter. He didn't know that it was Sadie and first, and was prepared to deliver a dangerous blow to the back of the head. He caught himself, barely though.  
  
"Jeez! Do you want to kill me that bad?" a scared Sadie exclaimed.  
  
"I didn't know it was you. Why are you here?"  
  
"I'm here to help you."  
  
"I don't need your help."  
  
"Still sore about the whole betrayal thing, huh? Well, I did this so I could have, well, 'eternal life'. I really just wanted to live forever. I like life. So, this seemed like a good idea. Then, Ella not to change me, and I finally realized the mistake I'd made. And now, I'm here to right my wrong. If you'll let me, that is."  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
"Please believe. And, I brought you your sword and stuff. Oh, and I brought you my hand. Can you do anything with it?"  
  
He took the stuff and put it on the bed. Then he took his hand.  
  
"Turn around."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just do it."  
  
She turned around. He put his hand where it should be and let the healing begin. He still wasn't quite up to par, so, it took a few seconds more to heal.  
  
He wiggled his fingers. His hand still worked, but he wasn't sure if the demon was still alive.  
  
"Are you still in there?" he whispered.  
  
"Where else would I be?" it replied after a few tense seconds.  
  
"Good," D whispered sarcastically. " Now shut up."  
  
'Yeah, yeah."  
  
"You can turn around now."  
  
"Alright. Well, you need to get out of here. So, I'll go keep her busy, and you get going."  
  
"I can't leave yet."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I have to do something about her. But, I can't kill her. She's my mother, after all."  
  
No she's not!"  
  
"What?" D asked, a bit concerned.  
  
"This was all a part of her plan to kill you. If she got you to believe that she was your mother, then she felt that she could control you. She studied you for a long time. Even before I was born. But she is certainly NOT your mother."  
  
"Why should I believe you?"  
  
"Because it's the truth. I can't make you believe me. Especially not after what I did to you, but, what I said is true."  
  
"So, she's not my mother."  
  
"Not at all. She's not even fit to be a stepmom."  
  
"Alright, I believe you."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"I suppose. For now at least. But I still don't trust you."  
  
"I can live with that. So, are you going to do her in now?"  
  
"Yes, I must."  
  
"Good. She's definitely not one of the good ones. So, what do we do?"  
  
"We?"  
  
"Yep. We." 


	8. Day 7

Day 7: So We Come To The End  
  
  
"Time! What is the time?" a frantic Ella called out. "I won't miss my chance. Before sunrise, or it'll have to wait another day. Now, what is the time?!"  
  
A very cautious servant answered.  
  
"It's five minutes to three, Count Ella."  
  
"Five minutes to three! My, where does the time go? What time does the sun rise?"  
  
"Um, the schedule says 5:37 a.m."  
  
"Do you know when the sun will be fully up?"  
  
"I suppose about 5:50."  
  
"What about when the sun starts to peak over the horizon?"  
  
"About five, I guess."  
  
"You guess? Oh, good enough."  
  
"Should I send someone the get the hunter?"  
  
"No, I want to get him myself. You can go away, though."  
  
The servant gladly left, leaving Ella alone to finish preparing.  
  
  
"Okay, so, got that D?" Sadie enthusiastically asked.  
  
"Yes, I got it."  
  
"Good. Well, it's about 3:30. I'm surprised she's not already here. Oh well, let's get ready."  
  
D climbed into bed and went back to 'sleep'. Sadie hurried out of the room, hoping her scent wouldn't linger too much longer.  
  
A few minutes later, Ella entered the room. She was in too much of a hurry to notice Sadie's fading scent. Ella screwed her face up into a das, mournful look and went to wake D.  
  
"D, honey," she said, 'sobbing'. "Wake up. It's…it's time."  
  
D sat up and looked at her.  
  
"I'm so sorry for the way things have turned out mother. I never meant to hurt you, or father the way I did. If I could, I would have handled things much better. I'm so sorry for any heartache I've caused," D responded.  
  
"Oh…son, it's alright. You had your reasons. I forgave you long ago. But, I still must do this deed, my son. Now, I hope it is you who can forgive me. Now be a good boy, and come along.  
  
D got up from the bed and went to his mother's side. She laced her hand in his and led him to the back of the castle.  
  
It was still dark, but Ella knew it wouldn't be that way for long.   
  
D noticed the guillotine. He figured that was to be his fate. He searched the trees and bushes anxiously for any sign that Sadie was there. He didn't see anything and bean to get a little worried if she was okay.  
  
They came a stop in a small garden area. Ella motioned for D to sit on one of the stone benches. He obliged.   
  
"Normally, I'd tie my prisoners up, but that's not the way I want to think of you. Not as a prisoner."  
  
"Thank you, mother. I'd never do anything to harm you and I'm glad you realize that."  
  
"Of course, baby."  
  
  
So for a while, they sat. Ella would occasionally bring up a fond memory of the past. A few stories didn't ring any bells with D. He had a perfect memory, but some thing sounded foreign. This was a definite indication that Ella wasn't who she said she was.  
  
The sky started to fade to a lighter shade of blue. Ella knew the sun would be up soon.  
  
"Well my sun. This time together has be better than I could have ever hoped for. But, it must come to an end now, unfortunately."  
  
"Yes, I know. I've enjoyed our time together as well."  
  
"Come on, son, follow me. Guards. Come escort my son, please."  
  
The mutant guards from yesterday grabbed him by the arms and followed Ella.  
  
D nervously searched the trees again for Sadie. He still saw no sign of her. He started to think that she had betrayed him again. Then, some bushes began to shake, and a hand gave a quick wave.  
  
D was so relieved, he almost smiled.  
  
"I'll be right back. I forgot something," Ella called out as she ran towards the castle. "Take him up to the platform and get him ready. I'll be back in less than five minutes."  
  
As she left, Sadie crept out of hiding. D was surprised by her stealth as she sneaked up to one of the guards. She struck out and hit one of the guards in the side with D's sword. The sword stuck in the guard's side. As the guard fell to the ground, D twisted, but didn't snap, the neck of the other guard. The guard fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"What a hit," D replied.  
  
"Thanks. I've had time to practice."  
  
D wrenched his sword free from the guard's side. The guard was crumpled up on the ground, now, bleeding to death.  
  
"Quick, let's pull them away. Into the bushes, fast," Sadie exclaimed.  
  
They dragged the guards into the nearby bushes and rubbed the blood out of the grass as best they could.   
  
"Won't she be able to smell the blood?"   
  
"She'll probably be too wrapped up in my impending demise to notice."  
  
"Since we're on that topic, how's about we get you up on that platform."  
  
"Right."  
  
They ran to the platform. D laid down in the guillotine, as Sadie ran to hide under the platform. She had D's things in her hands.  
  
Ella came running out of the castle. Dawn was getting under way. She didn't have much time.  
  
He ran up the platform steps and over to D. She knelt in front of him in order to talk to him once more.  
  
"Oh my son, I love you. I wish we could have been closer."  
  
D said nothing.  
  
She kissed him on the cheek and stood up. She grabbed the lever that would release the blade of the guillotine, ready to pull it.  
  
"D. NOW!"  
  
"What?" Ella exclaimed.  
  
Sadie jumped up onto the platform and threw D his sword.  
  
"What? Sadie! You little bitch! I knew I should have killed you earlier!"  
  
She lunged at Sadie, knocking D off the platform in the process.  
  
When D got back up on the platform, he was too late. Ella's fangs were deeply embedded into Sadie's neck.  
  
"Get off of her!"  
  
She looked up, wiping blood from her lips.   
  
"It's what she wanted, my son."  
  
"I'm not your son! I never have been and thankfully never will be! You are definitely NOT my mother!"  
  
He lunged at Ella, grabbing her by her waist.  
  
"You'll die for what you've done, vampire!" D hissed out.  
  
He drew his dagger to put through her heart, but he caught the look in her eye, which made him stop. It was a look of remorse in Ella's eyes. True and utter remorse. That's was a look not often seen in the eyes of any vampire he'd killed. He never actually believed she was evil, just did the wrong things. Now, he saw his assumptions were right.  
  
He wanted to release her, but he knew he couldn't. But he couldn't bring himself to kill her now, either. So, did the next best thing. He turned her around to face the horizon. And held her tight.  
  
"I can't kill you, now, but I can't let you go. So, I'll watch the sun rise, will you witness you demise."  
  
Ella was speechless. She knew she was dead meat when D caught her, but the way he was going to let her die somehow touched her.  
  
  
The first beams of the sun shot out from the horizon, hitting Ella like fireballs from a canon. As the sun rolled up, Ella began to smoke. She then burst into flames. D had to let her go, and she fell to the ground. A few minutes later, she was gone, and her ashes blowing away.  
  
  
D was a bit regretful. He hated to see such amazing creatures die. But, just as a lame horse, the bad vampire had to be put down.   
  
  
Hearing a moan, D remembered Sadie. He rushed to her side.  
  
"D?" she breathed out. "Did ya get her?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Sadie, why did you lie to me?"  
  
"I wanted so much what I couldn't have. I never wanted to hurt you."  
  
"No, not about that, about your family."  
  
"Oh, you found out, huh?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I lie about them all the time. It hurts too much to talk about them. I've been so alone since they died. I really loved them. Like you loved your family."  
  
"Come one, let's get you some help."  
  
"No. It's too late for me. Just, stay with me. I don't want to be alone. Not again."  
  
D held her cooling form as she labored to take in breaths. A few minutes later, she, too, was gone.  
  
D carefully picked her up and called for his horse, which had been faithfully waiting. He gathered his things and mounted up, Sadie still in his arms.  
  
He rode a while until he came upon an ancient burial ground. He took Sadie's lifeless form and covered it in leaves. As he'd done before to honor a true friend, he burned her body and collected the ashes.  
  
He let some of the ashes blow away in the wind as he came upon a sacred stream. He kept a bit of the ashes for himself. He did this so he'd have a way of keeping Sadie, who had turned out to be a wonderful and loyal friend, close and in his constant memories.  
  
With that, he mounted up again and headed off to find a room for the night.  
  
  
"What a day! What a week for that matter! I don't know about you, but I'm pooped!" the hand shouted.  
  
"As am I."  
  
"Well old buddy, let's go and get some sleep." 


	9. What A Day!

What A Day!  
  
  
As the sun set on the end of what had been one heck of a day, the weary hunter found a quite inn and got a room. Before he hit the bed, he was asleep.  
  
For a while, he was restless in his sleep. But soon he settled into a peaceful sleep.  
  
"D? D dear? Wake up. Do you know who this is?"  
  
D opened his eyes. He was no longer in the room. He was, well, it appeared as if he was on a cloud. There was a bright light around him, but it was a soft light. Despite his cautiousness, he was at a sort of peace.  
  
"Who's there?" he softly called out.  
  
A beautiful woman walked out of the cloudy mist. She had long black hair and light, almost iridescent green eyes. Her billowing robes were littered with white lilies. She was the spitting image of his mother. But he knew now, better that ever, that appearances could be deceiving.  
  
"I'd be tempted to say that you're my mother, but the odds have been stacked against me lately, so, you're probably not."  
  
"Oh D, please don't tell me that that Ella woman messed with your mind that much. But, you always were the spectacle sort, weren't you Moxi?"  
  
'Moxi?' D thought. It was a word in the tongue of an ancient, dead language. It meant 'light of my life'. Only one person had ever called him Moxi in his lifetime. No one else knew of this name except for his father and brothers. There was not mistaking that this was indeed his mother.  
  
"Mother? Is that really you?"  
  
"Who else would it be, silly?"  
  
"Are you…an angel?"  
  
"Indeed. You sounded a little surprised. That kind of hurts."  
  
"I didn't mean anything by…"  
  
"Oh Moxi, I know that you didn't mean anything. Just a bit shocked, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. Just a bit shocked. How…why are you, or, why am I here?"  
  
"Well, the whole fake mom thing seemed to really frazzle you, so, I figured that you could use a long overdue visit form your mom. So, here I am."  
  
"Yeah, there you are." D whispered, a bit star struck."  
  
"Jeez boy, cat got your tongue?"   
  
"No. I'm just surprised."  
  
"Well, I can only keep you in this strong of a trance for about 10 minutes, so, let's make this a pleasant 10 minutes, no, 9 minutes, shall we?"  
  
"Of course. Um, there's something have to say to you. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but never really got the chance. I'm sorry about everything that happened the day I left. I had a right to be mad, but no right to be cruel. If I could, I'd do it all over again, with totally different results. And furthermore, I wish I were there at your…funeral. I never should have missed it, and I regret it. I truly only wish you'd…"  
  
"Stop! I've heard quite enough. You think that you can just, after all this time, apologize and I'll forgive you for everything you've done, just like that? I missed out on so much of you life, and you mine! You weren't even there when I died! And you expect me to just forgive you?"  
  
"I was hoping…"  
  
"Well, I can't. I can't because…I never had a reason to. You never did anything wrong in my eyes, Moxi. You were mad at for a reason. A good reason. If anything, you should for your father and I for what we did to you."  
  
"I can't forgive you for something you didn't do."  
  
"Fine then, Mr. Difficult, let's just on three say we're each forgiven. Sound good? And even if it doesn't. I'm your mother so, you have to do it anyway."  
  
"Alright mother," he said as he cracked a smile.   
  
"Okay. 1-2-3: (together) I forgive you."  
  
They both started to laugh. For so long, they both carried this burden on their shoulders. Now, it was gone. They embraced each other. Or at least as well as an angel and a dhampire could. And they cried. Even D.  
  
They finally released on another. Ella, D's real mother, wiped the tears from his face.  
  
"Oh Moxi, we waited entirely to long to do this."  
  
"Yes, we did."  
  
"But, it's time to go now, Moxi. I wish we didn't have to, but (sob) we must.  
  
"I know. Can we ever meet like this again?"  
  
"I can pull some strings if you really need me. The big man upstairs and I are pretty tight. Sorry for the lingo. I really do pick up some bad habits."  
  
"It's quite alright."  
  
"And if you ever need me when I can't get to you like this, know that I'll always be with you, right here."  
  
She placed her hand over his heart. He placed his hand over hers.  
  
"And please, do one thing for me, Moxi. Promise me."  
  
"What is it?'  
  
"Promise me first."  
  
"Okay, I promise to do what you ask of me."  
  
"Always a mommy's boy, weren't you, Moxi? Okay, please, visit your father. I'm glad you've kept up with you brothers, but I want you and your father to be as close as possible. You need each other, believe it or not. Just as you and the demon in you hand need each other. So, go and see him. Now."  
  
"I promise, so, I must."  
  
"See it as a good thing, not a chore, Dakotya!"  
  
He knew he should definitely do as told when his real name was used.  
  
"Alright, I'll be glad to see him. I should visit him. It's been a long time."  
  
"That's my good boy."  
  
A stream of light then flashed out from behind Ella. The same bright, peaceful light from earlier.   
  
"It's really time for me to go, now, Moxi. Remember, you know where I'll be if you need me. And, visit your father, and be happy."  
  
"Yes, mother. I love you so much."  
  
"And I love you too, Moxi. Until next time, kid."  
  
"Yeah, until next time."  
  
"And how about we meet a bit more regularly, instead of waiting almost 11,00 years for a visit. Sound good?"  
  
Yeah, we'll definitely be closer, now."  
  
"Good."  
  
She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged him again. D closed his eyes, relishing the moment. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the hotel room.  
  
For a minute, he wondered if it had all been just a dream. When he got up to go to the bathroom, though, he noticed a light pink lipstick kiss mark on his cheek and a while lily in his hair. He knew now that he hadn't been dreaming.  
  
He carefully pulled the flower from his hair and put it in a cup of water. He then climbed back into bed. He needed to rest up good. It was going to take a while to get to his father's castle, and he wanted to make it in good time. And as he slept, he was finally able to be at a sort of peace with himself and what he was. 


End file.
